Sperm cryopreservation (freezing) is a way to preserve sperm and store it for future use. Men use the process because some medical treatments can damage sperm quality, including cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, as well as some surgeries. For convenience, sperm can also be cryopreserved prior to fertility treatments. Frozen sperm can be used for fertility treatments, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
At Home vs. Clinic Collection Collection rooms will be provided at clinics, but some men prefer to collect their sample at home and bring it to the lab for processing. If you plan to collect your sample at home, you can pick up a specimen container and instructions from the lab. You will need to bring your sample to the lab within an hour of collection and protect it from extreme hot or cold temperatures during transport. Whether you plan to collect your sample in the clinic or at home, please make sure you have scheduled an appointment with the lab in advance.
Sperm freezing is a method of preserving a man's sperm cells in order to preserve his fertility if he is undergoing therapy that may compromise his future fertility. Sperm donation to infertile couples is also possible using sperm freezing. This procedure is beneficial to men who are in danger of losing their fertility due to cancer or other health issues. The viability of cryopreserved sperm has no known time limit. Because of their low water content, sperm appear to be less vulnerable to cryopreservation damage than other cell types.
Although some studies have found that sperm freezing and thawing can cause cellular harm, there is no known risk to a fetus created using donor sperm. When properly handled, cryopreserved specimens can last eternally. There have been reports of pregnancies in circumstances where the sperm was frozen for 20 years before being thawed and inseminated.
Sperm freezing can help men who are preparing to undergo cancer treatment or prostate or testicular surgery, both of which can affect sperm quality or production.
Sperm freezing can also be performed by men who desire to donate their sperm to a sperm bank.
Each sample yields three to six vials (storage tubes). The average ejaculate volume is less than a teaspoon, but the range varies greatly. The number of samples needed for storage differs for each person and may depend on the quality of your sperm after it’s thawed. We recommend freezing at least two samples for storage before you have surgery or medical treatment. Discuss your future goals with your provider and make a plan based on your specific medical treatments and how many children you hope to have.
Freezing
The most common cryoprotectant used for semen is glycerol (10% in culture medium). Often sucrose or other di-, trisaccharides are added to glycerol solution. Cryoprotectant media may be supplemented with either egg yolk or soy lecithin, with the two having no statistically significant differences compared to each other regarding motility, morphology, ability to bind to hyaluronate in vitro, or DNA integrity after thawing.
Additional cryoprotectants can be used to increase sperm viability and fertility rates post-freezing. Treatment of sperm with heparin binding proteins prior to cryopreservation showed decreased cryoinjury and generation of ROS. The addition of nerve growth factor as a cryoprotectant decreases sperm cell death rates and increased motility after thawing. Incorporation of cholesterol into sperm cell membranes with the use of cyclodextrins prior to freezing also increases sperm viability.
Semen is frozen using either a controlled-rate, slow-cooling method (slow programmable freezing or SPF) or a newer flash-freezing process known as vitrification. Vitrification gives superior post-thaw motility
and cryosurvival than slow programmable freezing. This current technique, invented by the Japanese, is used in the best centers around the world. It is extremely fast (-23000°C/min), so as a result it avoids the appearance of small ice crystals, preventing the "knife" effect.
Fertility specialists will help you design a care plan for using your sperm to achieve a pregnancy. Then your provider will coordinate with our Andrology Lab to use the samples for artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.
No limit Researchers don’t know exactly how long frozen sperm can remain effective, but doctors have used sperm 20 years or older to achieve pregnancies.
Some sperm will die during the freezing process. Depending on the number of vials you store, you may choose to thaw one of the vials so we can examine how successfully your semen can be stored and thawed. You can discuss this with your provider and decide if it’s the right option for you.
If you have the financial resources, sperm freezing can be an excellent choice for preserving your chances of having a biological child. The procedure is extremely efficient and poses low dangers. If you think it would be a viable solution for you or your family, speak with a fertility professional.